Space vehicle simulating game



Nov; 14, 1967' P. MAHER 3,352,557,

SPACE VEHICLE SIMULATING GAME Filed Aug. 30, 1966 F|G.2 I

INVENTOR.

v PAT MAHER BYWM ATTORNEYS Nov. 14, 1967 P. MAHER' 3,352,557

SPACE VEHICLE- SIMULA'I'ING GAME Filed Aug. 30, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet? I INVENTOR. PAT MAHER FIG. 5 v BY W W ATTORNEYS Nov. 14, 1967 P. MAHER 3,352,551

SPACE VEHICLE SIMULATING GAME Filed Aug. 30, 1966' 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 9

INVENTOR. PAT MAHER ATTORNEYS Nov. 14, 1967 P, MAHER 3,352,557

SPACE VEHICLE SIMULATING GAME Filed Aug. 30, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,352,557 SPACE VEHICLE SIMULATING GAR/m Pat Maher, Miles City, Mont. (65 Grove Ave., Salt Lake City, Utah 84115) Filed Aug. 30, 1966, Ser. No. 582,787 9 Claims. (Cl. 273-110) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A game that simulates space flight, including a spherical capsule; means for projecting the capsule into a peripheral pathway; means for maintaining the capsule in oribiting travel within the pathway; and means for selectively stopping travelof the capsule to allow it to be retrieved.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my earlier 'filed application, Ser. No. 411,750, filed Nov. 17, 1964,

interest of people generally, and especially children, in

space travel. As a result there is a definite need for a game that will simulate a rocket ship launching, orbiting of a space capsule around the earth, and retrieval of the space capsule at a predetermined pick-up spot after a desired number of orbits have been completed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a game that will simulate a complete space flight, from initial count-down and rocket blast-off, to recovery of a returned space capsule at a predetermined safe zone.

It is a further object to provide such a game wherein recovery of the capsule or loss of the capsule is to a large degree dependent upon the skill of the player.

In order to simulate a rocket blast-off, I utilize countdown lights that signal when the rocket is to be actuated to lift-off, and a spring loaded rocket tube that has a simulated fire spitting tail representative of an actual rocket taking off.

A spherical capsule is ejected from the rocket tube into orbit around a world map, and the orbit is maintained by movement of a circular raceway that surrounds the map. Once the capsule has completed a desired number of orbits the skill of the player is required to properly operate a unique take-out apparatus that discontinues oribiting, and causes the capsule to drop into a designated recovery area.

There is shown in the accompanying drawings specific embodiments of the invention representing what are presently regarded as the best mode of carrying out the generic concepts in actual practice. From the detailed description of this presently preferred form of the invention, other more specific objects and features will become apparent.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the invention;

FIG. 2, a side elevation;

FIG. 3, a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4, a top plan view, with the orbit guide removed;

FIG. 5, a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

Patented Nov. 14, 1967 Detailed description Referring now to the drawings:

In the illustrated preferred embodiment the orbit game includes a housing, shown generally at 10, that supports and surrounds a circular orbit guide 11 at one end, and that supports a launching rocket 12, countdown lights 13-19, and control buttons 22-26 at its other end.

Legs 27, pivotally mounted by brackets 28, FIG. 6, to a base 30 of the housing are rotatable from a position resting fiat against base 30 to a position extending outwardly from the base to elevate the ends of the housing, thereby supporting the orbit guide in an inclined position.

The control switches and electrical control circuits for the game are also carried by the housing 10, and these are fixed to the underside of a support panel 31.

Orbit guide 11 is carried by, and is centrally journalled on, upwardly extending pin 32, FIGS. 4, and 5, at one end of arm 33. The other end of arm 33 is fixed to the usual output shaft 34 of electric motor 35.

Motor 35 is supported on base 30 of housing 10 and a hole 36 through a top panel 37 allows arm 33 to freely rotate about its connection with shaft 34. Spaced roller bearings 37a are mounted on top panel 37 for the orbit guide to ride on. These bearings are preferably of nylon orother similar noiseless material.

A spring 38, anchored at one end 40 to orbit guide 11, and at the other end to a bolt 41 connected to housing 10, prevents rotation of the orbit guide about pin 32, while allowing its center to be orbited around output shaft 34 with pin 32. Bolt 41 is adjustably anchored to housing 10 such that the tension on spring 38 can be set, as required.

A raised edge 42 surrounds the orbit guide 11 and provides a raceway, or orbit path against which a spherical capsule 43, having the general appearance of a marble, is rolled.

Capsule 43 is placed in engagement with raised edge 42, Le, in orbit, by a spring loaded rocket tube 44, and is held against the raised edge during revolution of the orbit guide by the centrifugal force created by revolving the center of the orbit guide.

Rocket 44 includes a finned tube 45, closed at one end by a wall 46, and containing coil spring 47 positioned intermediate a plug 48 and a spring abutment 50 on the end of adjustment bolt 51 which is threaded through a nut 51a surrounding an opening wall 46. The amount of compression of spring 47 is set as desired by turning-bolt 51. A slot 52 extends through the wall of tube 45 and the facing panel 31 of the housing 11, and provides a guideway for rocket tube cocking lever 53 fixed to and extending downwardly from plug 48. Screws 54, extending through a portion of cocking lever 53 within plug 48, interconnect the plug and the lever.

A cocking handle 55, FIG. 1, is journalled through a sidewall of housing 10 and has an arm 57, within the housing, that carries a protruding roller 58. The arm and roller are positioned such that as the handle is rotated clockwise the roller engages cocking lever 53, forcing the lever to move within guideway 52, toward end wall 46.

.trol butt 26 n dep e e the attraction of magnet 90 for metal bob 95 3 A spring 57a, connected at one end to a tension adjust ment bolt 57b anchored in base 30 engages arm 57 to normally bias it to a position wherein handle rests on stop 55a. Stop 55b limits cocking movement of handle 55.

Matching cam surfaces on cocking lever 53 and a catch lever 56 allow lever 53 to pivot lever 56 about a pin 56a that extends through a bracket 56!; fixed to the underside of support panel 31 and the catch lever, until the eocking lever has passed over hood 560. Spring 56d, connected to the catch lever, then biases the catch lever back to theillustrated position such that lever 53 is held by hook 560. The tension of spring 56d is adjustable by turning bolt 59 that extends through nut 6.0 fixed to bracket 56.

Control buttons 22-26 and the structure they control are shown schematically in FIGS. 79 with a representative button shown in cross-section in FIG. 10. Each button is attached to a rod 61 extending through support panel 31 and a tubular, threaded housing 62. A spring .63, positioned between the end of the housing and an abutment 64 on the rod normally biases the rod to a raised position, whereby depression of the button will operate the structure controlled thereby. Tubular housings 62 are threaded through a shelf 64 fixed beneath support panel 31 and nuts 65 threaded on the tubular housings hold them securely in fixed position.

Control button 22 is connected through its rod 61 to a cable 66, with the cable sliding freely through a collar 67 at the lower end of the rod until head 68 at the end of the cable is contacted by the collar. The cable passes over a pulley 69, suspended from a support panel 31, and is connected to a .yoke 70 that is pivotally connected at 71 to the throw 72 of a switch 73. Depression of button 22 will move rod ,61 down, pulling cable 6,6 over pulley 69 and moving throw 72 to its upper, or switch closed position.

Control button 23, identical with control button '22, has .a cable 75 connected to its rod 61 in the same manner that cable 66 is connected to its rod .61. The other end of cable 75 is connected to the lower end of yoke 70 such that depression of button 23 moves throw 7'2 to its lower, or switch open, position.

Control buttons 24 and25,'identical in construction and mountings with control buttons 22 and 23, are respectively connected to cables 76 and 77, which are connected to the top and bottom, respectively, of yoke 78, pivotally mounted on a rod-79, interconnecting the throws 80 and 8-1 of switches 82 and 83. Depression of control button 24 pulls cable 76 over a pulley 84, suspended from sup port panel 31, and raises the throws, to close the switches. Depression of control button 25 pulls cable 77 to lower the throws and open the switches.

Another cable 85 passes over a pulley 86 and interconnects the rod 61 of control button 25 and the end of lever 56 opposite hook 56c. Thus, depression of button 25 will notonly open switches 82' and-8 3 butit will also pivot lever 56 -to"release cocking lever 53 and put the capsule in orbit.

'Control button 26 is constructed with control buttons 22, 23, 24 and "25 and similarly mounted, with its rod extending through panel 31.

Cable 90 is rigidly connected at one end 91 to the collar 92 carried by rod 61 of control button "26, passes through cable housing 93 and carries a magnet 94 at the other end. This magnet cooperates with other structure to be described to block the orbital path of the capsule upon depression of control button 2 6.

Magnet 94 is normally biased by spring 95 into the lowered position illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 8. When concable90 raises the magnet and suspended from one .end of centrally pivoted lever 96 is great enough to overcome the biasing of counterweight 97 at the other end, and to move the bob toward the magnet.

,Thisraisespin 98 at the other end of lever 96 upwardly through a hole 99 formed through the bottom of orbit de t l k the orbi Pa h 9 the e. Pa

To add realism to the orbit journey urine capsule, a map of the world shown fragmentarily at M is desirably positioned on the surface of the orbit guide, and capsule receivers 99a, FIG. 1, are fixed to the lower portion of the orbit guide over the map, to catch the capsuie after its orbit path has been blockedfThe ,gapsule'receivers comprise a plurality of safe Zones that simulate recovery zones of an actual orbi'ng capsule on its return to earth. If the capsule falls between the capsule receivers, it is considered lost. Difierent point values can also be assigned each capsule receiyer to simulate preferred, and emergency receiving Zones. The angle at which the capsule falls after its orbit path is blocked by pin 9.8 is determined by the time at which control button 26 is 12 4 13 6, relative to the motions of the orbit guide and the capsule, and with practice the skill necessary to consistently rop the capsule into the safe zones 99a can be developed.

The se uential operat on of the game is best explained with reference to the electrical diagrams shown schematically in FIGS. 1l-l3.

In operation, a game player first cocks the rocket tube by turning lever 55 until the cocking lever 53 is held by hook 560. The spherical capsule is dropped in an open end of the tube 44 and it is then ready for orbiting.

Control button 22 is depressed to complete a circuit from line L through switch motor 35 and line {L to initiate movement of the orbit guide, as has been .described.

Control button 24 is then actuated to close switches 82 and 83. Closing of switch 82 completes a circuit to energize a motor 100 that drives a rotor 101 of a sequencer 102. As rotor 101 rotates a flexible contact 103, carried, thereby, sweeps around and sequentially bridges fixed upper and lower contacts 104 and105 respectively to complete the circuit from battery 106 through switch 83 to the count-down lights 1349. I

Flexible contact 103'is shaped todrag across the fixed contacts, thereby holding the countdown light circuit closed for a predetermined period of time. In additioh, contact 103 has an end 107 that extends further away from rotor 102 to just briefly and sequentially engageeac'h pair of fixed upper and lower contacts 108 and 109, re-: spectively. Each time the circuit through a pair of contacts 108 and 109 is completed, motor 1101s energized to turn emery stone 111. As the emery stone tu rns, F IG. 3, flint LIZ/carried by a wire 113, mounted in one or more tubular guides 114, is vibrated on and ofif thes tone, thus creating a large number of sparks thjat are reflected in the red glass cover at the rea r of the rocke t tube. This gives a simulated fire effect att he rocket tailf Y 7 After contact 103 has swept past fixed contacts 108 and109 it engages contacts 116 and ,117, similar to fixed contacts 104 and 105, to complete the circuit from battery 1. gh 3 an l t .1 ss t n l in; 5 h h m gla s c e n h a e a e a s vs ligh -1 s me 9 2:1! t on t pn w th a 15. a d I??? pushes control t V stopping the sequencer, and releasing cocking leyer 53 from catch lever 56 to thereby eject spherieaLca mile 43.

A shield 1 1, p tereblva i a e t a is fastened .to the housing 10 by mounts 120 and extends Over h Orbit uide- .1 uc tha th sani e su into engagement with the inside of raisedjedge..4 2.

Since switch 73 remains Q19 9 motor 35 continues to d e h or u d an th s h ri a ap ul roll around the raceway formed by raised edge 42 After the apsul as completed a dash-5d n mbe 0f orbits the game player gaugestherelative n overne ts'of the capsule and orbit guid and depressescontrol,button 26 to move magnet 94 into position tolattract magnetic member 95 carried by the orbit guide. This "moves pin 98 into position to block the orbiting of the capsule'and causes it to drop out of orbit. If the capsule falls -into either of the receivers 99a the player receives points, but if it falls between them the capsule is considered lost and no points are awarded the player.

When the game has been completed control button 23 is depressed to open switch 73 and break the circuit to motor 35, thereby stopping orbit guide movement.

In FIGS. 14 and 15 there is shown another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment the capsule is propelled around the periphery of the orbit guide 11 by air pressure resulting from operation of a motor fan unit 125.

The wind created by operation of the fan is directed through a duct 126 that extends upwardly from the interior of housing and tangentially through a nozzle 127 protruding through the side wall of orbit guide 11 to propel the capsule.

Since an orbiting motion of the orbit guide is not required to keep the capsule moving it is preferably fixed to top panel 37, and the lever 96 can be pivoted to the underside of the top panel. One end of the lever is connected at 128 to the cable 90 and the other end is adapted to be pivoted upwardly through the top panel and orbit guide and into the path of travel of a capsule.

The operation of this embodiment is substantially the same as with the embodiment previously disclosed. However, activation of push button 22 will start the motor fan unit 125 in operation and this will continue until button 23 is pushed to complete operation of the unit.

Whereas there is here illustrated and specifically described a certain preferred construction of apparatus which is presently regarded as the best mode of carrying out the invention, it should be understood that various changes may be made and other construction adopted without departing from the inventive subject matter particularly pointed out and claimed herebelow.

I claim:

1. An orbit game, comprising a circular orbit guide, including a peripheral raceway providing an orbit path; means mounting the center of said orbit guide to orbit about a central axis; means for driving said orbit guide a spherical capsule, means for projecting said spherical capsule into said peripheral raceway for orbiting within said orbit guide; means, responsive to player manipulation, for blocking the orbit path of said capsule; and means for receiving said capsule after its orbit path has been blocked, said means comprising safe recovery areas.

2. An orbit game according to claim 1, further including a housing; said housing supporting the circular orbit guide and the means for shooting said spherical capsule; a plurality of count-down lights mounted on said housing; and means to sequentially actuate said lights.

3. An orbit game, comprising a housing; a circular orbit guide carried by said housing, said orbit guide including a peripheral raceway providing an orbit path; means for orbiting the center of said orbit guide around a fixed point; means for preventing rotation of said orbit guide about its center axis; a spherical capsule; means for projecting said spherical capsule onto said peripheral raceway to be orbited within said orbit guide; means, responsive to player manipulation, to block the orbit path of said capsule; and means for receiving said capsule after its orbit path has been blocked, said means comprising safe recovery areas.

4. An orbit game, comprising a housing; a circular orbit guide carried by said housing, said orbit guide including a peripheral raceway providing an orbit path; means for orbiting the center of said orbit guide around a fixed point; means for preventing rotation of said orbit guide around its center axis; a spherical capsule; means for projecting said capsule into said peripheral raceway to be orbited within said orbit guide; a magnet; means defining an opening through the orbit guide; a pivot arm mounted on the orbit guide on the side opposite the raceway; a pin extending upwardly from one end of said pivot arm and positioned to move through said means defining an opening through the orbit guide; a bob on the other end of said pivot arm, said bob being constructed of magnetic material; and means for moving said magnet into and away from a position attracting said bob, to thereby pivot the pivot arm.

5. An orbit game, comprising a housing; an orbit guide carried by said housing; said orbit guide including a peripheral raceway providing an orbit path; means for orbiting the center of said orbit guide around a fixed point; means for preventing rotation of said orbit guide about its center axis andorbiting of the periphery of said orbit guide around the said fixed point; a spherical capsule; and means for projecting said spherical capsule into said peripheral raceway to be freely orbited in said raceway by movement of said orbit guide.

6. An orbit game according to claim 3, further including a housing; said housing supporting the circular orbit guide and the means for shooting said spherical capsule; a plurality of count-down lights mounted on said housing; and means to sequentially actuate said lights.

7. An orbit game according to claim 6, further including sparker means on the means for shooting the spherical capsule; and control means to operate said sparker means for a predetermined period of time after the countdown lights have been sequentially actuated.

8. An orbit game, comprising a circular orbit guide, including a fiat playing surface and a wall extending upwardly from the surface to form a peripheral raceway providing an orbit path; means for elevating one side of said orbit guide with respect to its opposite side; a spherical capsule; means for projecting said capsule from the low side of said orbit guide into said peripheral raceway at the elevated side of the orbit guide; means for maintaining said capsule normally in continuous orbiting movement within said raceway; means at the elevated side of the orbit guide, responsive to player manipulation, for blocking the orbit path of the capsule; and means, within said raceway, below the elevated side of said orbit guide, for receiving said capsule after its orbit path has been blocked, said means being affixed to the flat .playing surface and being open in the direction of the elevated side of the orbit guide to receive said capsule in simulation of safe recovery areas.

9. An orbit game according to claim 8, wherein the means for maintaining the orbit in continuous orbiting movement within the raceway comprises a motor;

a fan driven by the motor; and

duct means for directing wind resulting from operation of the fan tangentially onto the said peripheral raceway.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 170,948 11/1953 Schigas 273-119 730,351 6/1903 Dorsey 273119 2,582,844 1/1952 Mourfield 273119 2,946,151 7/1960 Traylor 4610 3,208,185 9/1965 Silvera 46-243 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner, T. ZACK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ORBIT GAME, COMPRISING A CIRCULAR ORBIT GUIDE, INCLUDING A PERIPHERAL RACEWAY PROVIDING AN ORBIT PATH; MEANS MOUNTING THE CENTER OF SAID ORBIT GUIDE TO ORBIT ABOUT A CENTRAL AXIS; MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID ORBIT GUIDE A SPHERICAL CAPSULE, MEANS FOR PROJECTING SAID SPHERICAL CAPSULE INTO SAID PERIPHERAL RACEWAY FOR ORBITING WITHIN SAID ORBIT GUIDE; MEANS, RESPONSIVE TO PLAYER MANIPULATION, FOR BLOCKING THE ORBIT PATH OF SAID CAPSULE; AND MEANS FOR RECEIVING SAID CAPSULE AFTER ITS ORBIT PATH HAS BEEN BLOCKED, SAID MEANS COMPRISING SAFE RECOVERY AREAS. 